Owner pepper sprayed in cat-napping in San Bruno

SAN BRUNO — Just after dark, a young couple entered a San Bruno apartment, pepper sprayed the resident and stole the victim’s cat before fleeing.

Few details of the Saturday night cat-napping were released Monday by San Bruno police but two 26-year-old suspects — Oleksandr Mirza and Ching Yen — were arrested in San Francisco and sent to San Mateo County Jail, according to a police statement. The San Francisco residents were booked on charges related to robbery, burglary, unlawful use of tear gas, and conspiracy, police said.

San Bruno Police released no motive and didn’t explain whether the cat was returned to its owner who lives on the 1000 block of National Avenue. The lieutenant in charge did not return a phone call Monday.

A check of Facebook found one person named Oleksandr Mirza. In June 2016, he changed his profile picture to that of a young man wearing sunglasses and a button down shirt. Before that, he had posted his profile picture as that of an orange and black tabby cat. Its paws were white, its whiskers long, its mouth open, as it skulked along a driveway.

Anyone with any information related to this crime is urged to contact the San Bruno Police Department at 650-616-7100 or by email: sbpdtipline@sanbruno.ca.gov. Information can be left anonymously.